The Good News by Luke 15

لوقا 16 >>

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A Man Who Lost a Sheep

1 One time, all the tax collectors and nonobservant [Jews] gathered around [Jesus] to listen to him. 2 But the Pharisees and scholars grumbled, saying, “This man welcomes nonobservant [Jews] and eats with them!” 3 So he told them this parable:

4 “Let's suppose that one of you has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gotten lost. Will he not leave the ninety-nine in the countryside and go search for the stray until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will carry it on his shoulders joyfully 6 and return to his home. Then he will invite [his] friends and neighbors and say to them, ‘Rejoice with me! I have found my stray sheep.’

7 I assure you that in the same way, there will be joy in heaven over one sinner who repents — more than there is over ninety-nine righteous [people] who do not need to repent.

A Woman Who Lost a Coin

8 “Or let's suppose that a woman has ten silver coins, and one of them gets lost. Will she not light a lamp and sweep the house and search diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she will invite [her] friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me! I have found the coin that I lost.’ 10 I assure you that in the same way, there will be joy among God's angels over one sinner who repents.”

The Forgiving Father

11 Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger [one] said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the property.’ So the father divided what he owned between the two. 13 After a few days, the younger son gathered everything he had and traveled abroad to a distant land. There he wasted his fortune in extravagant living. 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in all regions of that land, and he came to be in need. 15 So he went and got a job with a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to herd the pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him [anything].

17 “Then he returned to his [senses] and said, ‘All the employees at my father's [place] have a surplus of food, and here I am, dying of hunger! 18 I'll get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I've sinned against God and against you. 19 I don't deserve to be called your son; [just] make me one of your employees.”’

20 “So he set out and went to his father. And while he was still at a distance, his father saw him and had pity on him. He ran and embraced him and kissed him warmly. 21 The son said to his father, ‘My father, I've sinned against God and against you, and I don't deserve to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Hurry! Bring the finest robe and put it on him. Put a signet ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.* 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it so that we may eat and rejoice, 24 because this son of mine was dead but has come back to life; he had gone astray but is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

25 “However, his older son was in the field. When he returned and came near the house, he heard the music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him about the matter. 27 He told him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf, because he has returned to him safe and sound.’

28 But [the older son] got angry and refused to go in. So his father came out to him and began urging him [to come in]. 29 But he replied to his father, saying, ‘All these years I've been serving you, and I've never disobeyed a command of yours, but you haven't given me even one young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours came back, who wasted your money with loose women, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him!’

31 “His father said to him, ‘My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 Nonetheless, it was right for us to rejoice and be glad, because your brother was dead but has come back to life! He had gone astray but has been found!’ ”

لوقا 16 >>

Definitions

 *15:22 signet ring: a finger ring engraved with a unique seal (a symbol or name) by which a person could mark ownership of items and seal documents. When the father gave a signet ring to the repentant young man, it showed he had accepted him into his family as a son, not just as a servant.